Town Says Hands Are Tied On $500 Tax Hike For Residents

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FRAMINGHAM (CBS) – Framingham’s Board of Selectmen has approved a property tax hike for next year that’s expected to add about $500 to homeowners’ tax bills.

The town has seen an incline on home sale prices from 2008 assessments to last year, and that means higher property assessments.

Board of Selectmen Chair Jason Smith says the hike is outrageous, but they didn’t have much choice.

“All five of us voted, 5-0 to pay the least amount possible based on the formula that’s given by the state of Massachusetts,” he said.

Smith says that formula, based on property valuations, raises a lot of questions.

“The price of my home, while they may have assessed it higher, if I put it on the market now, I take a 20 percent decrease and I’m paying taxes at a higher rate,” he pointed out to WBZ NewsRadio 1030’s Lana Jones. “I’m not sure how that will go over with residents. I know how it went over with myself and my entire board.”